A blog on politics and education, supporting socialist ideals and equality of opportunity. Against obscene wealth and inequality.

Tuesday, 30 December 2014

How patronising can this government get?

Few will fail to remember the advertisement the Tories
put out after the March budget earlier this year, about how cutting the Bingo
tax and taking a penny off the price of a pint of beer would "help hardworking
people do more of the things they enjoy". The condescending attitude of the
coalition has continued unabated, and now we read how "smug ministers" are
telling the people on whom they have inflicted austerity and imposed poverty,
that they should "celebrate" because "dodgy government statistics" suggest
inflation is so low, down to 1.0% from 1.2% last month, it is below average
wage increases. According to closet Tory, Danny
Alexander, an "early Christmas present" for us plebs! How stupid does he, and
his patronising pals, think we are?

Firstly, the 1% figure
is based on the consumer price index (CPI), which is obviously lower that the
more accurate retail price index (RPI), at 2%, which includes housing costs.
Rising rents or mortgage costs are not included in the CPI!

Secondly, the figures used by this government for
wages take into account the huge increases in pay received by those at the top
of the pay scales, and we all know how their pay has risen exponentially under
this government. With the majority of the country`s workers having their pay
frozen, and millions on the paltry minimum wage or less, to hear government
ministers taking credit for the success of their "long term economic plan" is
simply sickening!

With Tories` condescension closely allied to their
duplicity, it comes as no surprise to read of Tory MP Nadine Dorries voting with
the government, despite her publicly siding with the Fire Brigades Union for a photo-shoot. Labour`s policies may be too moderate for most of us, but at least voting for
them will see the end of this odious, diabolical government.